Thank You, London Overground
That is the tone of this article to mark the fifth birthday of the London Overground in Time Out.
I think it shows if you bring in an urban transport system and design it properly, you completely enhance the lives of those it touches.
This country and the world in general needs more Overgrounds! Lots more!
The only problem with the Overground is that its success has meant too many people want to use it. But that is hopefully being solved by adding more and longer trains and the infrastructure to handle them.
With the opening of the new line to Clapham Junction in a few weeks time, I think we’ll see the popularity of the Overground grow.
The only problem with the Overground is that its success has meant too many people want to use it. But that is hopefully being solved by adding more and longer trains and the infrastructure to handle them.
The Overground Gets It Right
Everybody knocks the trains, but few knock the London Overground.
The Overground Gets It Right
But with figures like these, a lot of moans are tackled before they start. So the train i got this morning was crowded, but I got a seat at Whitechapel.
CrossRail Will Raise House Prices
Today’s Standard also reports that CrossRail will lead to house prices going up along its route.
Perhaps, this explains why no-one seems to be complaining about CrossRail.
Or have people noted what has happened to house prices around Dalston Junction station, after the coming of the Overground.
Back To London In Comfort
I came back to London in a Class 442, branded as a Gatwick Express, although it only stopped at East Croydon and Clapham Junction before Victoria.
Back To London In Comfort
The Class 442 could be considered an unusual design as it is just a series of legendary Mk. 3 coaches, with electric power underneath. They may be slower than an InterCity 125, but they still hold the world speed record for third-rail electric trains at 108 mph.
I took the train all the way to Victoria, but when London Overground opens to Clapham Junction on December 9th, I’ll be able to use that line to get to Dalston Junction.
I suspect, it will be whatever has the best connections.
To Brighton via Cable Car And A Lot More
And a few other things too!
I had plenty of time yesterday to get to the Ipswich match at Brighton, so I thought, I’d see how many different forms of transport I could use.
1. A 21 Bus to Bank
I started the simple way by getting on this 21 bus to take me to Bank station for the DLR.
A 21 Bus To Bank
It didn’t actually go to Bank, as southbound buses have to take a detour at Moorgate because of Crossrail.
2. Docklands Light Railway to Royal Victoria Docks
I then took the DLR to Royal Victoria Dock station for the cable-car.
DLR Train At Bank
I did take a pause at Limehouse station to take pictures of the Hydraulic Accumulator Tower.
3. Emirates Air-Line To North Greenwich
I’d actually come this way to give me a good title to the post. But, as I had a gondola to myself, I was able to take good pictures of the Crossrail site at Limmo.
The Crossrail Site On The Limmo Peninsular
Work seems to be proceeding at speed and hopefully Elizabeth and Victoria will be dropped in the big hole soon.
4. Jubilee Line To Canada Water
This was the point, I realised I hadn’t got an SD card in the camera, so I purchased one by the O2.
Jubilee Line At Canada Water
At least the Jubilee line was working properly.
5.Lift To The Overground
This might seem like blatant cheating to get my count up. It is!
Lift To The Overground
Although it was a nice clean lift!
6. Overground To West Croydon
Those who know London’s transport system can argue that I should have taken the Jubilee line to London Bridge station and got a train from there. But hey! That would not be fun.
Arriving At West Croydon
But even the Overground takes you to wrong station at Croydon for Brighton. But at least, West Croydon station now has a quick exit to the tram.
7. Tram To East Croydon
At least when you’re going West to East in Croydon, the Tramlink is simple.
Tram at East Croydon
In fact, if say I’m coming from Brighton to my home, I will probably go direct to the London terminus. But going south, I tend to take the Overground from close by my house and then the tram to East Croydon station, as I did here.
8. Train To Brighton
I bought my first ticket of the day. a senior return to Brighton for £11.70.
My Train To Brighton Arrives
I arrived in Brighton on time.
I then walked down the hill to Carluccio’s for an early supper.
The Future’s Bright, The Future’s Orange
The London Overground is starting to show its true colours and design philosophy. I took these pictures at Camden Road station today.
In some way the designs differ to those at Crystal Palace station, but then that station is a Grade 2 Listed building and bright orange would not have been an authentic choice.
The Rail Bridge At Primrose Hill
These pictures show the rail bridge at Primrose Hill.
It is now pedestrianised, but it wasn’t in 1970, when I used to walk across it twice to get to and from work.
There may well be development here, as some plans would mean adding the former Primrose Hill station, which used to be under this bridge, to a rerouted North London line. Wikipedia says this.
It has been proposed to re-open Primrose Hill station by bringing the short stretch of line between South Hampstead and Camden Road stations back into the regular passenger service by incorporating it into the London Overground network.
From this passenger’s point-of-view, it would be a good thing, but it is only part of a bigger plan, that might be needed to get the freight through London.
A Real Station With A Real Cafe – On The Overground!
I’d heard that London Overground had done something special at Crystal Palace. So I went and had a look.
It’s not finished yet and it can only get better and better, as lifts and other features are added.
So is it special? I think so, but I’m a grumpy old pensioner, who gets to the station free. The food was good too!
Take the kids and go there and have a walk in one of London’s most unusual parks and then have a snack or more in the Brown and Green Cafe.
They’ve even got a children’s menu without chips!
The one thing I didn’t like was the orange roundel on the station building. Surely, a Grade II Listed building deserves better!
It will also be interesting to see how use of the booking hall develops. It is a display space, that cries out for something better than run of the mill retail. As the current architectural display shows, it could be used for exhibitions.
But of course don’t go to Crystal Palace station, expecting a short walk to Crystal Palace Football Club. For them, you take the train to Norwood Junction station.
Thinking about Crystal Palace station, London Overground has now created its first true destination station. By that, I mean one where you go because of what is in the station itself, to perhaps meet someone for business or pleasure. St. Pancras is perhaps the best example, but others like Waterloo, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Street and perhaps Norwich Thorpe are getting that way.
London Peace Wall
I saw this in the paper and found it on Wednesday morning.
There’s more about it here. Or there would be if the website worked properly! But it’s not up yet. Although it’s mentioned on the TFL web site here.
The best thing is to do what I did and go and visit it by taking a train to Haggerston station. Walk out of the station towards the Regent’s Canal, and the artwork is under the portal of the bridge that goes across the canal.
December the 9th Is Dalston to Clapham Day
Howard Smith, the CEO for London Rail at Transport for London has let the cat out of the bag in this interview. Here’s some of what he said.
London Railways invested about £3 billion between 2005 and 2011. That’s gone into the East London Line, North London Line upgrade, new trains, the creation of the Overground, all the investment in stations that went into the Overground, creating what from the December 9 when East London Line Phase 2 opens will be the Orbital Network.
December the 9th is a Sunday by the way. Judging by what I saw last Sunday, it would appear that much of it could open now. But it’s only eleven weeks.
The Anonymous Widower 